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doubleedgecat · 6 years

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I saw Be More Chill

I bought opening night tickets for my birthday and apparently, I bought second row seats. It was a fantastic production. Also, the theater’s in the perfect place. Most (if not all) of the businesses mentioned ARE right down the road (Hobby Lobby, Kohl’s, not sure if Cherry Hill has a Sbarro’s and a Payless, though). I’ll put more info under the cut about my experience. Also, there’s spoilers, so... yeah.

Actors and Characters

I have a list from the playbill, so that’s good. They have cute quotes too. It’s very in character.

Matt Dalton, plays the role of Jeremy. He looks like a nerd, so perfect. Also, he looked amazing in his post SQUIP outfits. His outfit was different than the one you’re probably use to. Still maintained the striped shirt, but the hoodie was replaced with a long-sleeve solid white shirt. He’s a great actor. He maintained a slouch through most of the first act. Plus, he has all of those scenes where his actions are powered by the SQUIP. Fantastic acting. Fantastic actor. Singing was great too. Definitely different from the one you probably hear a lot. Still enjoyable. I think he has a higher range, so less falsetto. Not entirely sure. He’s with Exit 82, so if I go again, I’ll probably see more of him.

Ryan Everett Wood plays the role of Michael. Michael was way more chill. If you’ve heard the original production, Michael’s super happy, eager, and excited like.... in everything. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with a way more chill Michael either. I mean, he does do a lot of pot. Also, he doesn’t show up that much, which if you knew the play you knew that, but watching it I realized he’s really not in there much. During The Play, I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. So expressive as Jeremy has to make the decision. Also, he leap frogged like a pro. He’s a union member and not a part of the theatre group, so I might not see him again, but you know. Mad kudos. (Also, he ran right past me and scared me when he did his first entrance)

Elizabeth Ritacco plays the role of Christiiiine~ Canigula. SHE WAS AMAZING! OH MY LORD HER OUTFIT WAS SO CUTE SHE HAD CAT STOCKINGS! Also, she had great breath control. Also, she was so adorable throughout her performance. So cute! So happy and cheerful! She’s also barely in it, but I feel like she fully embraces the role. Also, there’s the play sign up in “More than Survive” and she was so graceful in the arms of Jake. Edit: Something I forgot to mention because it was in the very beginning, but Christine went to go get her pen from her bag and a water bottle that looked like a refillable slurpee cup from 7-11 FLEW OUT INTO THE AUDIENCE. She remained combosed, so good job.

Sal Pavia is the SQUIP and photographer. Great work on both. He died really well. (spoilers, he dies twice). It was certainly a different experience with him. He sounds quite different from the originator of the roll. I think he has a lower range or his voice is just naturally lower than the other. Still great at what he does. I have no complaints. His timing was impeccable. I’m not sure if there are visual/audio cues for when he has to do his hand movements to shock Jeremy, but it was all timed really well. Then there was this part where he was spinning. He did a great job maintaining eye contact with the audience. Also, he lit up, which was awesome. Sad I might not see him with Exit 82 again.

Jason Arellano played sweet sweet Rich to which he did an amazing job. Very confident. Very small (only a few inches shorter than Matt while slouching). Very sexual. He had a little something extra to his voice that was absent in the originated role. Later when the SQUIP’s influence is gone, he speaks as if he has a retainer in his mouth. Nice touch. He wasn’t as freaked during the Halloween party, but he did some pretty crazy stuff during scenes where he wasn’t the focus. Some of it involved hitting people with his bread machete, which upon introduction, he held in a manner very true to the character. Another, which I thought was cool was this one scene, I forget which, but he was climbing through the high rise like a monster and it was just perfection in physical form.

Lisa Adams played Chloe. She’s really pretty. The people I sat with were disappointed she wasn’t a blonde, but she was really pretty. She had such a nice outfit too. It was so cute, yet mature. Not mature in a bad way, but I guess classy would be more appropriate? She played her role as gossipy queen bee so well. All of her scenes that didn’t focus on her, she had such perfect body language and looked really convincing. Only thing, she didn’t have great breath control and it was noticeable. That’s my only criticism.

Katie Clair McGrath played Brooke. It was really different than I imaged. She had these two buns in her hair and her outfits were kind of bizarre. It was out there, but still cute. She played the role of wounded puppy well. Her delivery on somethings was different, like the Eminem scene, she was not as extra. Nothing really wrong with that, I guess. She was just really different than how I envisioned, but she was still good.

Emily Nielsen played Jenna Rolan perfectly. Oh my goodness. She was perfection. In everything she did she was great. She was an orc clown, which was scary, but her other outfits were so beautiful. She was stunning. Also,her belts were fantastic. Belts as in the singing kind. Also, she had her phone out, gathering receipts(?) like Jenna would. Such great direction and such great acting. Also, Smartphone Hour? Smartphone Hour. It was sooooooo good!

Billy Cardone played Jake. Now this one was super stunning. He differed the most from expectations. However’ that’s not to say he wasn’t still a great actor. He looked like a fuckboy (sorry Billy. I mean that in a good way) which I think fits Jake way better than playboy. Also, he looked more jocky, also more appropriate. ONE MORE THING he said “extra circular” which implies stupid. Another great thing. So overall, I think his character was actually better than the originated role (of which I have no idea what happened because I never saw it, so I’m going off the way people typically depict him) and as such really speaks to Billy’s acting ability and the director since the other actors could have gone off the past performance while he had to portray this different archtype without reference. Also his strength was super impressive. He lifted Christine, which she looked light, but he maintained that lift for a long period of time.

Vinny Distefano played Jeremy’s dad, Mr. Reyes, and the bus driver. He’s scary close to the originated actor. As you can see, he did not play the stockboy. Like, he practically sounds the same, but it’s not him. He played his roles very well, but he had a NOTICEABLE BULGE WHEN NOT WEARING PANTS, but it’s not like. “HE HAS A BONER” more like, “THEY REALLY STUFFED THAT UNDERWEAR SO YOU DON’T SEE HIS DICK” and I couldn’t help, but stare. He was in the “Top 100 Most Sexy Men of Musical Theatre” after all. He climbed a ladder with just socks and I was scared. Then he ran past me with NO PANTS DURING “THE PANTS SONG” and I was scared. Again.

Carly Cosentino, Frankie Confalone, and Bridget Hughes were ensembe stars. I think Frankie played another student (he was fabulous) as well as the stockboy. Bridget played Madeline (she was tres French). I don’t remember Carly in Halloween, but I think she had the super cute punk-ish outfit with the pink hat and she also played the stockgirl (a nice addition to the play). Bridget did a lot of transitions between scenes. Carly did a lot of char taking. I’m not sure what Frankie did, but I think he played a unicorn, so that was something.

The Production The set was pretty simple. It was a two-tiered stage: the stage and what looked like metallic scaffolding. The scaffolding served as Jeremy’s head and as such was dominated by the SQUIP for most of the production. It’s also the place where you’d most likely find the SQUIP. When the SQUIP entered, two circuit things descended from the “ceiling.” They remained there until the SQUIP was defeated. When Jeremy upgraded, two more way larger circuits appeared (which explains how he upgrades). Finally, I think during “The Pitiful Children,” two more circuits appeared. These were just one line with a circle. The lights would shine on them, making them blue even when the set was lit by different colors. I’m not sure if they disappeared during the reprise of “More Than Survive” and descended as the SQUIP came back on stage. During “Voices In My Head” these circuits were descending as the SQUIP said his final words, ascended when Jeremy reaffirmed himself and eventually went away. Not sure if it was all three sets of circuits or if it was just the first set. I think it was all.

The stage had a moving metal-frame staircase that looked like the scaffolding. It allowed for access to the scaffolding if characters needed it. It moved a lot. On stage, off stage, most notably in the opening number and “The Pitiful Children.” It was so cool.

Set pieces that identified the room were fairly simple. Jeremy had a bed and a desk. Jeremy’s bathroom had a rolling car that acted as a sink. It had toothbrushes in a cup. The bus used yellow chairs. These chairs were reused for any classrooms. School had functional lockers and an opposite wall for sign ups. The play room had a whiteboard. A very well written whiteboard. The school bathroom had a urinal. Two beanbags for “Two Player Game.” The Payless had a counter. (There were lights in the shoe box, which I saw in the exit82theatre instagram). Mall food court had a bench with two fake trees. Very light. Jake’s house had a couch. This was later replaced by his parent’s bed and two windows descended. Bathtub in his bathroom. Two hospital beds for... the hospital... Great set design by Mike Lindenmeyer. Also, shout out to Desiree Davenport the Costume Designer. Every costume was amazing! Highlights: Jenna Roland, Chloe, Brooke, Christine, all of the SQUIP’s outfits, and everyone in “Smartphone Hour.”

Edit: OMG I’m an idiot and forgot the best part. “The Play” closed the curtains and Christine did some audience interaction. It was so cute. Then it opened up and there was this huge blue and white sparkly curtain in the middle of the stage. Table for props and a costume rack completed the set. Then, the curtain fell? The sparkly one and strings of lights came down and everyone held onto them. So goregous!

Music, Dancing, Lines So the band had a really loud trumpet player. Everything else though was great. I could see the conductor (behind the scaffolding) along with other members.

While the original cast recording has some spoken parts during singing (ex. “Because it’s the best!” in “I Love Play Rehearsal”), I believe everything was sung. Nice change. Everyone sung well. Even thought I said Lisa had bad breath control, she had a great voice. EMILY WAS AMAZING! OH MY GOODNESS I LOVED HER! Some parts were quiet, like big group scenes (”The Pitiful Children” was a big one I remember).

Some lines changed delivery. I mentioned some. Chloe was different in “Smartphone Hour.” Still fit though. Then in “The Play” the girls spoke more like they were brainwashed than excited twinsies. I’m sure there were a few others, but I can’t remember. But just because it was different, doesn’t make it terrible. Everything still felt it fit within the context of the ply and as I stated earlier, some of it was even better. It all has to do with direction, which I think Sean Openshaw did a great job with both Directing and Choreography. Lots of jumping on people. Lots of carrying people. Pretty impressive. Also, that staircase in “The Pitiful Children” was amazing.

Personal Stories I went to the Cherry Hill Mall since it’s a midpoint and I wanted to go look at stuff. I got lost in a circle, desperately trying to avoid the turnpike. There was an accident, so I was like, “Of course...” I was almost late. Made it on time. Even better, the play didn’t start until 20-30 minutes later. My goodness it was packed. I sat with a bunch of teens. They screamed a lot. Had to cover my ears. The lady in front of me also did not appreciate the screaming, but I accidentally misgendered one, so karma? I apologized and corrected myself immediately. The same person apologized for screaming a few times, so they were nice.

Post play! So there were these two teens. They were a couple(?). They were holding hands, so I’m assuming so. I saw them earlier holding hands too. I took a playbill sitting on a ledge table thing. It was the last one. I thought “Oh mine’s a little bent.” The two didn’t see me take it, but the one in the checkered shirt looked upset, so I put it back. Checkered shirt seemed really happy it magically appeared.

I was the last one to get merch. They had three shirts: Up Up Down Down Left Right A, a Midsummer Nightmare With Zombies and I L<3ve Play Rehearsal (the heart is a picture of a heart. Not less than three and it is oriented portrait style not landscape). I bought a hat with 82 on it. Last one to get merch! Also, I asked if they were going to release a cast recording. No such luck according to (I think) the Executive Producer, Keely Davenport. Oh well.

So that’s everything. I loved it. It was so great. I drove a total of about four hours (there and back) in pitch blackness and it was worth it. Oh also. I think they’re doing a production of Dear Evan Hansen next year. They did Heathers a year prior. I might go. Don’t know much about it, but I thought I’d mention it just in case anyone wanted to go.

#BMC #Be More Chill #exit 82 theatre #chill82 #Strand

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